Method for Producing a Semiconductor Body Having a Recombination Zone, Semiconductor Component Having a Recombination Zone, and Method for Producing Such a Semiconductor Component

ABSTRACT

In a method for producing a semiconductor body, impurities which act as recombination centers in the semiconductor body and form a recombination zone are introduced into the semiconductor body during the process of producing the semiconductor body. In a semiconductor component, comprising a semiconductor body having a front surface and an opposite rear surface, and also a recombination zone formed by impurities between the front and rear surfaces, wherein the impurities act as recombination centres, the surface state density at the front and rear surfaces of the semiconductor body is just as high as the surface state density at a front and rear surface of an identical semiconductor body without a recombination zone.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to German Application No. 102007 036 147 filed Aug. 02, 2007, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a method for producinga semiconductor body having a recombination zone, to a semiconductorcomponent having a recombination zone, and to a method for producingsuch a semiconductor component.

Recombination is understood to mean the coming together again ofelectron-hole pairs. In silicon, recombinations generally proceed by wayof recombination centers. These involve contaminations of thesemiconductor material which represent a defect. From an energeticstandpoint, these defects lie in the forbidden band.

For some rapidly switching applications it is desirable to realize asignificantly reduced carrier lifetime in the semiconductor body, inparticular in the drift zone in the case of power semiconductorcomponents, such as, for example, an IGBT or a fast freewheeling diode.This makes it possible for example to reduce the reverse current and theturn-off losses.

Previously known possibilities for reducing the carrier lifetime in suchsemiconductor components consist in exposing the semiconductorcomponents to an irradiation with high-energy particles, such aselectrons, for example, which bring about damage to the crystal latticeand thus the production of recombination centers. Another possibility isthe indiffusion of heavy metals, such as platinum or gold, for example,from the front side of the wafer.

In both variants, however, the front side, in particular a gate oxidesituated thereon, is adversely influenced by the front-side irradiationor by the diffusion from the front side. Thus, by way of example, anundesirable shift in the threshold voltage or else an instability of theelectrical properties can occur.

SUMMARY

One aspect relates to a method for producing a semiconductor body,wherein impurities which act as recombination centers in thesemiconductor body and form a recombination zone are introduced into asemiconductor body during the process of producing the semiconductorbody.

Furthermore, another aspect relates to a semiconductor component,comprising a semiconductor body having a front surface and an oppositerear surface, and also a recombination zone formed by impurities betweenthe front and rear surfaces, wherein the impurities act as recombinationcenters, and wherein the surface state density at the front and rearsurfaces of the semiconductor body is just as high as the surface statedensity at a front and rear surface of an identical semiconductor bodywithout a recombination zone.

Another aspect relates to a method for producing a semiconductorcomponent, wherein a semiconductor body is produced according to theabovementioned method, a multiplicity of semiconductor componentstructures are formed in the semiconductor body and the semiconductorbody is severed in such a way that individual semiconductor componentsarise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Exemplary embodiments are explained in more detail below, referring tothe accompanying figures. However, the invention is not restricted tothe specifically described embodiments, but rather can be modified andaltered in a suitable manner. It lies within the scope of the inventionto combine individual features and feature combinations of oneembodiment with features and feature combinations of another embodimentin a suitable manner in order to attain further embodiments according tothe invention.

Before the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explainedin more detail below with reference to the figures, it is pointed outthat identical elements in the figures are provided with the same orsimilar reference symbols and that a repeated description of theseelements is omitted. In the figures:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor bodywith a recombination zone.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor bodyproduced in two stages with a recombination zone.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor bodywith two recombination zones.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an IGBT with arecombination zone.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an IGBT with a fieldstop layer and a recombination zone.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a power diode with arecombination zone.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an IGBT with a reverseconducting diode and a recombination zone.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a superjunction MOSFETwith two recombination zones.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicewith two semiconductor components and a recombination zone.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a step of producingrecombination zones that are spaced apart laterally in a semiconductorbody.

FIG. 11 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a semiconductor bodywith two recombination zones having different carrier lifetimes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments below are concerned with a recombination zone in asemiconductor body which has no adverse surface influences.

FIG. 1 illustrates in a general form a semiconductor body 1, in whichimpurities 2 which act as recombination centers in the semiconductorbody 1 and form a recombination zone 3 have been introduced. Theimpurities are introduced during the process of producing thesemiconductor body 1.

The impurities 2 are introduced in the semiconductor body 1 in a locallydelimited manner. Moreover, the impurities 2 are introduced into thesemiconductor body 1 in such a way that an outdiffusion of theimpurities from the semiconductor body in subsequent process steps doesnot occur. This avoids a disturbing contamination of manufacturingequipment with the impurities 2. This can be achieved for example byvirtue of the fact that the impurities 2 are introduced into thesemiconductor body 1 at a distance from the surfaces 4 of thesemiconductor body 1.

By way of example, heavy metals, in particular tungsten or tantalum, areused as the impurities 2. In the method according to the invention, thediffusion constant of these impurities is chosen in particular such thatthe diffusion in the vertical wafer direction is slower than the rate ofgrowth of the epitaxial layer, or that the diffusion of said impuritiesis so slow that the diffusion of said impurities as far as thesemiconductor surface is avoided. The impurities 2 used have for examplea diffusion constant <10⁻¹³ cm²/s, in particular a diffusion constant<10⁻¹⁴ cm²/s, at a temperature of 1000° C. in the semiconductor body.

FIG. 2 illustrates a specific method for producing the semiconductorbody 1 in a two-stage process. In this case, the production processcomprises, as illustrated in FIG. 2 a, providing a first part 1′ of thesemiconductor body 1. The impurities 2 are introduced in this first part1′. This is done for example by masked implantation of the impurities 2,in particular by such a deep implantation that a liberation of theimpurities 2 by outdiffusion from the semiconductor body 1 during thesubsequent step of producing a second part 1″ of the semiconductor bodydoes not occur. The masking of the implantation can be effected e.g. bymeans of a patterned resist layer.

FIG. 2 b shows the second part 1″ produced on the first part 1′, whereinthe first part 1′ and the second part 1″ together form the semiconductorbody 1.

The second part 1″ is produced for example epitaxially on the first part1′ of the semiconductor body 1. In this case, in one embodiment, theimpurities 2 can also be introduced into the part 1″ by diffusion fromthe part 1′ during the production of the second part 1″ of thesemiconductor body 1.

The impurities 2 diffuse on account of high temperatures in subsequentprocess steps in the semiconductor body 1 and form a recombination zone3.

As shown in FIG. 2 b, the recombination zone is enlarged by comparisonwith the original introduction zone of the impurities 2. By a suitablechoice of the impurities, in particular with regard to the diffusionconstant, however, the recombination zone always remains at a distancefrom the surfaces 4 of the semiconductor body 1, whereby an outdiffusionfrom the semiconductor body 1 and influencing of the surfaces 4 of thesemiconductor body 1 do not occur. In particular, impurities with alower rate of diffusion during the epitaxy process than the rate ofgrowth of the epitaxial layer should be chosen.

FIG. 3 illustrates a development of the production process describedwith regard to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. In this case, the method steps ofproducing the semiconductor body are repeated at least once. The firstpart 1′ is thus formed by a process sequence that has already been runthrough once, as described with regard to FIG. 2. The semiconductor body1 with the recombination zone 3 as described with regard to FIG. 2 isthus the first part 1′ of the semiconductor body when the method stepsare repeated. The second part 1″ of the semiconductor body together witha further recombination zone 3 is then produced onto the surface 5 ofthis new first part 1′ of the semiconductor body. This can be repeatedas often as until the desired thickness of the semiconductor body 1 andthe desired number of recombination zones 3 have been achieved. It isthen made possible to establish a local distribution of therecombination zones 3 and thus also of the carrier lifetime in thevertical direction of the semiconductor body 1.

Semiconductor components are normally produced in large numbers in asemiconductor wafer in order thus to be able to produce manysemiconductor components as effectively as possible in a processsequence.

Semiconductor components having a recombination zone can be producedusing the method described above in which a wafer is used as thesemiconductor body 1.

The wafer is therefore produced with a recombination zone 3 by means ofthe method steps of the method explained in more detail with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 3. In addition, a multiplicity of semiconductor componentstructures are formed in and on the wafer and, finally, the wafer issevered in such a way that individual semiconductor components arise.Furthermore, it is possible to mask the implantation of the impurities 2in the edge region of the semiconductor wafer in such a way that thelateral distance between the implanted layer and the edge of thesemiconductor wafer is dimensioned such that the implanted impurities 2cannot diffuse as far as towards the wafer edge during thehigh-temperature steps that succeed the implantation.

Semiconductor components which were produced according to this methodare described by way of example below.

What is common to all the semiconductor components in this case is thata semiconductor body 10 has a front surface 40 and an opposite rearsurface 41. Moreover, the semiconductor body 10 has a recombination zone3 formed by impurities 2 between the front and rear surfaces 40, 41,wherein the impurities 2 act as recombination centers and wherein thesurface state density at the front and rear surfaces 40, 41 of thesemiconductor body 10 is just as high as the surface density at a frontand rear surface of an identical semiconductor body without arecombination zone 3.

This means that the recombination zone 3 has no influence on the surfaceof the semiconductor body.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an IGBT (Insulated Gate BipolarTransistor) as an example of a semiconductor component.

The IGBT 30 has a semiconductor body 10 composed of a first part 10′ anda second part 10″.

The first part 10′ of the semiconductor body 10 is formed by a highlydoped p⁺-type substrate 15, and the second part 10″ is an epitaxiallayer 16 produced on the p⁺-type substrate 15.

A recombination zone 3 extends across a surface 5 of the first part 10′into the second part 10″ of the semiconductor body 10, wherein a smallerpart of the recombination zone 3 is situated in the first part 10′ and alarger part of the recombination zone 3 is situated in the second part10″ of the semiconductor body 10. This distribution can be produced e.g.by means of the multistage epitaxy and impurity introduction asdescribed in FIG. 3, wherein the recombination zones 3 are converted bydiffusion processes into a recombination zone that is more extended inthe vertical direction. In the case of a two-stage process in accordancewith FIG. 2, the vertical extent of the recombination zone 3 is greaterin the first part 10′, in accordance with the implantation depth, byapproximately double the implantation depth than in the zone 10″.

The epitaxial layer 16 has, at a front surface 40 of the semiconductorbody 10, first dopant regions 20 as source and second dopant regions 21as body of a field-effect transistor. Adjoining the p-doped body region21 and insulated from the epitaxial layer 16 by a gate oxide 23, thereis a gate electrode 22 situated in a trench extending into thesemiconductor body 10 from a surface 40 of the semiconductor body 10.

The gate electrode 22 permits the formation of a conducting channel inthe body region 21 between the n⁺-doped source region 20 and a lightlyn-doped drift path 6 of the epitaxial layer 16.

An insulation layer 24 is situated at the front surface 40 of thesemiconductor body 10, said insulation layer having cutouts for a firstelectrode 7 for making contact with the source and body regions 20, 21.In this case, contact is made with the body regions 21 via a highlydoped body connection zone 21′ in the body region 21.

A second electrode for electrical connection of the p⁺-type substrate 15is applied at a rear surface 41 of the semiconductor body 10.

The recombination zone 3 of the IGBT 30 is at a distance from the frontsurface 40 and in particular also from the surface of the semiconductorbody 10 with respect to the gate oxide 23, such that an adverseinfluence with regard to the threshold voltage of the field-effecttransistor is avoided.

FIG. 5 shows an IGBT 31 slightly modified with respect to FIG. 4, thisIGBT additionally having a field stop zone 9. In this exemplaryembodiment, the first part 10′ of the semiconductor body 10 is formed bythe p⁺-type substrate 15 and the field stop zone 9. In this case, thefield stop zone 9 is an n-doped layer produced epitaxially on thep⁺-type substrate 15. The recombination zone 3 extends across thesurface 5 of the first part 10′ of the semiconductor body 10 into thesecond part 10″ of the semiconductor body 10. The construction of theIGBT 31 otherwise corresponds to the exemplary embodiment of the IGBT 30from FIG. 4.

In the exemplary embodiment with regard to FIG. 5, the recombinationzone 3 is produced by implantation of impurities 2 into the field stopzone 9 with subsequent diffusion. In this case, the diffusion takesplace at least partly during the further epitaxial deposition of thesecond part 10″ of the semiconductor body 10 in the direction of thep⁺-type substrate 15 and into the second part 10″ of the semiconductorbody 10.

The field stop zone 9 has a higher doping than the lightly n-doped driftpath 6. The dopant concentration of the field stop zone 9 lies in therange of 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻³ to 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. The field stop zone 9 has athickness in the range of 1 μm to 30 μm.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diode 32 as a further example of a semiconductorcomponent with a recombination zone. The diode 32 has a semiconductorbody 10 composed of a highly doped n⁺-type layer 25, an n-doped fieldstop zone 9 applied thereon and a weakly n-doped epitaxial layer 16applied thereon with a further epitaxial layer 16′ applied thereon. At afront surface 40 of the diode, a p-type well 26 is introduced in thefurther weakly n-doped epitaxial layer 16′ and together with the n-dopedfurther epitaxial layer 16′ forms a pn junction 27 and thus represents adiode.

The p-type well 26 is connected by the first electrode 7 (anode). Thefirst electrode 7 is applied on an insulation layer 24 on the frontsurface 40 of the semiconductor body 10, wherein the insulation layer 24has a cutout above the p-type well 26, and the first electrode 7 (anode)can therefore make contact with the p-type well 26.

A second electrode 8 (cathode) for the electrical connection of then⁺-type layer 25 is applied on a rear surface 41 of the semiconductorbody 10.

The recombination zone 3 is situated closer to the front surface 40 thanto the rear surface 41, but is at a distance from the front surface 40.

The pn junction 27 is situated at least partly within the recombinationzone 3, and the recombination zone 3 is arranged at the junction betweenthe epitaxial layer 16 and the further epitaxial layer 16′.

FIG. 7 shows a reverse conducting IGBT 34, that is to say an IGBT inwhich a diode that conducts in the opposite current direction of theIGBT is integrated, with a recombination zone 3 as a further example ofa semiconductor component.

The reverse conducting IGBT 34 is constructed similarly to the IGBT 32described with regard to FIG. 5. In contrast to the IGBT 32 in FIG. 5,however, the reverse conducting IGBT 34 has a semiconductor body 10which has, at the rear surface 41, at least one n⁺-type region 25 in thep⁺-type substrate 15 which is doped oppositely to the p⁺-type substrate15. A field stop zone 9, a drift path 6, and also MOS field-effecttransistor structures 20, 21, 22, 23 are applied in a customary mannerabove these alternately arranged p⁺-type and n⁺-type regions at the rearsurface 41 of the semiconductor body 10. The diode that conducts in theopposite current direction of the IGBT is formed by the pn junction 28of the body region 21 with the n-doped drift path 6. The recombinationzone 3 of the reverse conducting IGBT 34 is arranged at the pn junction28, wherein the recombination zone 3 is arranged at a distance from thegate oxide.

FIG. 8 illustrates a power semiconductor component with compensationstructures as a further exemplary embodiment of a semiconductorcomponent with a recombination zone 3. Such a component is also referredto as a superjunction MOSFET. The superjunction MOSFET 36 in FIG. 8 hasa semiconductor body 10 composed of a substrate 45 highly doped withn-type dopant, an n-doped field stop zone 9 applied thereon, and ann-doped epitaxial layer 16 applied on the field stop zone 9. Thesuperjunction MOSFET 36 is divided into a cell array 50 and into anadjoining edge region 51. MOSFET structures such as source regions 20and body regions 21, for example, are situated in the cell array 50.

The n-doped epitaxial layer 16 is pervaded by p-doped pillars 29. In theedge region 51, said pillars 29 extend from the front surface 40 of thesemiconductor body 10 as far as the field stop zone 9, while in the cellarray 50 the pillars extend from the body region 21 to the field stopzone 9 through the epitaxial layer.

On the front surface 40 of the semiconductor body 10, gate electrodes 56suitable for forming a channel region in the body regions 21 between thesource regions 20 and the epitaxial layer 16 are arranged in insulationregions 55 in the cell array 50.

In the edge region 51, an insulation structure 57 with field plates 58arranged therein is applied on the front surface 40 of the semiconductorbody 10.

The body regions 21 and source regions 22 in the cell array areelectrically connected by a metallic first electrode 7.

A second metallic electrode 8 is applied on the rear surface 41 of thesemiconductor body 10.

Two recombination zones 3 are arranged within the superjunction MOSFET,wherein one recombination zone 3 is situated closer to the front surface40 of the semiconductor body 10 below the body regions 21 in theepitaxial layer 16, while the other recombination zone 3 is situatedcloser to the rear surface 41 of the semiconductor body 10 and isarranged at the junction between field stop zone 9 and epitaxial layer16. In this case, the recombination zones 3 are suitable for reducingthe storage charge of the inverse diode of the superjunction MOSFET 36.

In a further exemplary embodiment, FIG. 9 shows a recombination zone 3in a semiconductor component using smart power technology, that is tosay that the semiconductor component combines at least two differentcomponent types, for example a power transistor 60 and a logic component70. In this case, the power transistor 60 can be a DMOS, for example,and the logic component 70 can contain transistors formed using CMOStechnology.

Both component types are formed on a common p-type substrate 62 composedof a highly doped first part 65 and a weakly doped part 66 producedthereon.

The recombination zone 3 is arranged within the p-type substrate 62 atthe junction between the first part 65 and the second part 66 andreduces the effects of charge carriers—injected into the p-typesubstrate 62—of one component on the other component.

A further exemplary embodiment of the invention is for the recombinationzone 3 to be laterally subdivided into a plurality of partial regions,such that the recombination zone 3 is present with a short carrierlifetime only in parts of a semiconductor component. Such arrangementsare illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, for example, in which therecombination zones 3 were produced in such a way that they have alaterally delimited extent. Thus, it may also be desirable, for example,for a greater reduction of the charge carrier lifetime to be provided inthe region of the edge termination of a blocking pn junction of asemiconductor component than in the cell array, in order thus to reduceexcessive increases in the electric field strength that are producedduring dynamic operation.

One possibility for producing such a laterally locally delimitedrecombination zone 3 is illustrated with reference to FIG. 10. In afirst part 110′ of a semiconductor body 100, laterally demarcatedrecombination zones 3 are produced by a locally delimited implantationof the impurities 2. In this case, the locally delimited implantation iseffected by means of a mask 110 having a width that is greater thandouble the later lateral diffusion of the impurities 2. The impurities 2are thus introduced into a plurality of partial sections of thesemiconductor body, such that regions without impurities remain betweenthe partial sections. Afterwards, the mask 110 is removed, thesemiconductor body 100 is completed by applying a second part in themanner already described, and the recombination zone 3 is formed.

By using a mask 110 having widths that are smaller than double the laterlateral diffusion of the impurities, it is possible to producecontiguous regions having a carrier lifetime reduction to a lesserdegree than in homogeneously implanted regions. In particular, in thisway a plurality of regions having carrier lifetimes of differentmagnitudes can be produced in one step, as is indicated by the referencesymbols 3′ and 3″ in FIG. 11. The regions, which are still separateafter implantation, subsequently diffuse together in this case. The areaportion of the regions masked by the mask 110 determines the dilution ofthe concentration of the impurities and thus the carrier lifetimereduction.

In all the exemplary embodiments, as a result of introducing theimpurities during the process of producing the semiconductor body, anadverse influencing of the surfaces can be avoided because theimpurities do not come into contact with the surfaces of thesemiconductor body. A suitable measure of an uninfluenced surface is thesurface state density, which, with a recombination zone present in asemiconductor component, should not be higher than in the case of asemiconductor component in which no recombination zone is present.

In general, many semiconductor components are produced with asemiconductor wafer. If the recombination zone is formed over a largearea in such a wafer, a large number of semiconductor components havingrecombination zones can be manufactured by singulations of saidsemiconductor wafer in an effective form, without the recombinationzones having an adverse influence on the critical surfaces of thesemiconductor components.

The construction of the semiconductor body and of the dopant regionsformed therein as described in the respective exemplary embodiments isintended to serve only by way of example for understanding the inventionand does not restrict the invention. In particular, the dopant typeschosen in the individual dopant regions are interchangeable. Moreover,the semiconductor components can be formed in a lateral as well as in avertical embodiment without restricting the invention.

1. A method for producing a semiconductor body comprising: introducingimpurities into the semiconductor body during the process of producingthe semiconductor body, wherein the impurities act as recombinationcenters in the semiconductor body and form a recombination zone.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the impurities are introduced intothe semiconductor body in a locally delimited manner.
 3. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the impurities are introduced into thesemiconductor body in such a way that an outdiffusion of the impuritiesfrom the semiconductor body in subsequent method steps does not occur.4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the impurities areintroduced into the semiconductor body at a distance from the surfacesof the semiconductor body.
 5. The method according to claim 1, whereinheavy metals are introduced as impurities into the semiconductor body.6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the heavy metals comprisetungsten or tantalum.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein theimpurities have a diffusion constant of less than 10⁻¹³ cm²/s at 1000°C. in the semiconductor body.
 8. The method according to claim 1,wherein the impurities have a diffusion constant of less than 10⁻¹⁴cm²/s at 1000° C. in the semiconductor body.
 9. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the process of producing the semiconductor bodycomprises providing a first part of the semiconductor body and producinga second part of the semiconductor body on the first part.
 10. Themethod according to claim 9, wherein the impurities are introduced intothe first part of the semiconductor body.
 11. The method according toclaim 1, wherein the impurities are implanted.
 12. The method accordingto claim 10, wherein the impurities are introduced so deeply into thefirst part that a liberation of the impurities by outdiffusion from thesemiconductor body during the subsequent step of producing the secondpart does not occur.
 13. The method according to claim 9, wherein thesecond part of the semiconductor body is produced epitaxially.
 14. Themethod according to claim 13, wherein the rate of diffusion of theintroduced impurities during the epitaxy process is lower than the rateof growth of the epitaxial layer.
 15. The method according to claim 1,wherein the impurities are introduced into a plurality of partialsections of the semiconductor body, such that regions without impuritiesremain between the partial sections.
 16. The method according to claim9, wherein the method steps are repeated at least once.
 17. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein semiconductor component structures with adrift path between a first electrode at a first surface of thesemiconductor body and a second electrode at a second surface of thesemiconductor body are formed in the semiconductor body.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 17, wherein the recombination zone is formed at leastpartly in the drift path.
 19. The method according to claim 17, whereinthe recombination zone is formed closer to the first electrode than tothe second electrode.
 20. The method according to claim 17, wherein therecombination zone is formed closer to the second electrode than to thefirst electrode.
 21. A semiconductor component comprising: asemiconductor body having a front surface and an opposite rear surface,and a recombination zone formed by impurities between the front and rearsurfaces, wherein the impurities act as recombination centers, andwherein a surface state density at the front and rear surfaces of thesemiconductor body is just as high as the surface state density at afront and rear surface of an identical semiconductor body without arecombination zone.
 22. The semiconductor component according to claim21, wherein the surface state density is less than 2*10¹¹ cm⁻².
 23. Thesemiconductor component according to claim 22, wherein anon-semiconductor layer is applied at a front or rear surface of thesemiconductor body and the recombination zone is at a distance from thesurface with the non-semiconductor layer.
 24. The semiconductorcomponent according to claim 23, wherein the non-semiconductor layer isa gate oxide arranged between the semiconductor body and a gateelectrode.
 25. A method for producing a semiconductor componentcomprising: introducing impurities into a semiconductor body during theprocess of producing the semiconductor body, wherein the impurities actas recombination centers in the semiconductor body and form arecombination zone; forming a multiplicity of semiconductor componentstructures in the semiconductor body; and severing the semiconductorbody in such a way that individual semiconductor components arise.